Brick handling fork mechanism



Dec. 11, 1951 s. E. RIKE 2,578,016

BRICK HANDLING FORK MECHANISM Filed Jan. 29, 1949 2 SHEETS--SHEET l T PZ 1 .1 P-lq. L.

PIE. q---ll Vi /v f l/ Dec. 11, 1951 s, E, RIKE 2,578,016

BRICK HANDLING FORK MECHANISM Filed Jan. 29, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Patented Dec. 1l, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRICK HANDLING FORK MECHANISM Siles Elmanike, oeteto'n, nui. Ap'iilieation Jaiiiiry 29, 1949, serial No; 73,554 laims. (Cl. ZI-Z) This invention relates to a brick handling. fork mechanism.

Brick handling forks have long been used in the industry to pick up a stack of brick while in stacked relation and transport the same to another location and there deposit said brick. This deposit may be made for' storage or upon a vehicle for transportation purposes.

Essentially such prior art devices comprise a traction device with a power lift mechanism for elevating a fork?, the fork extending below the brick 'and supporting the same in outboard relation, as it were, each fork comprising a plurality of ngers and usually a common back This application is a continuation in part of apDloa-tion Serial No; 718,320, filed December` 26, 1946,- and now Patent No.|2,503,689, granted April 11, 1950, entitled Brick .Handling Fork" ao. application Seria-lV No. 734,095, led March 12, 1947, now Patent No. 2,486,324; granted Oo# tober 25, 1949, and entitled segmental Gripper Structure. The latter abpliation relates to skid brick gripping meehanis'msv applied to lingers of a fork Structure. The former relates to the saine subject matter and the frk'l eostructio creamy,

The pesrit i1'1-\`renti(` 'r,` as stated, onstitn-tes an iniprci/'ifnerit upon tlie inventions. disclosed in the two previouslymntioned a1oplications.`

Cine chief object of this invention is to sirnplify the constructions disclosed and olairned in the pr'ecedilig'` applications;

A Second chief object of vthe invention is to' provide a stack clamp strtlr which will hold all bricks in stackedrelatiori upon the fork while' the brick are beig transported,- 'since it has been foundthat in the transportation of a stack of brick the tratindvioe, such as a tow mo`tor,ifl it encountered a local obstruction, subjects the fork to a bump orv ribration arid the topmos't brick may beome disrranged and evenjarred from the stack.

One chief feature of the invention relftte'sV vto the simplified arrangement of thegrpping stru'ctures` which are finger associated and the ao-v tara-tingr mechanisms therefore and the simplification of the latter, the' power being derived for skid brick gripping purposes incident to the ele"` vation of the fork in brick elevating by means on the tow motor uponwhi'ch the" forliy is m'll-lted.

Another' feature of the invention resides inthe stack gripping' structurefor maintaining a fork mounted stackof bricks in stacked relation,l the clamping association for brick retention .being 2 effected simultaneously with and by the elevation of the brick through the relative movement of the fork with respect to its support upon the tow motor incident to brick elevation- Other objects and features of the invention will be set forth more fully hereinafter; l

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is aside elevational view of the associated portions of a brick handling fork and a supporting tow motor portion.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of a portion of the fork structure, the same being taken substantially in the plane ofline 2"'-2 of Fig, 1 and in the direction of the arrows.

Fig.- 3 is a side elevation of a fork tine and associated fork portions, the latter being broken away and shown in section and the skid brick gripping elements and the specific' operating mechanism for the same, intermediate portions of the tine operating mechanism and skid brick gripping lements being omitted.

Fig. 4 is atran'sve'r'se sectional view of a double tine or i'nger with skid brick gripping elements shown in the retracted position.' dotted lines in" meeting trie same in the' extended or skid brick gripping position.

Fig'.- 5r is aside elevation of a portion of a]V tow motor,` the fork sliplldrted thereby with a stack of brick thereon and the clamping mechanism holding the saine' in stacked relation,A the parts being shown in a'. position corresponding to that assumed While' the brick'are elevated.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the stack clamping structure; y l

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, T indicates a power elevatab'l portion of a traction device commonlyr known as a' Atovv motor and Whichi's provided with a base B' to which in turn at its upper end is: scoured a stud S that suspendingly supports thel base B of thefork structure through the aperr tilred tongue T' thereof. i u

The base' B' includes Spaced forwardly direc't' ed portions or guides G and disposed therebe-A tw'enis thebase B aforesaid. Thba's B is offset forwardly as at C and D. l

Extending forwardly from thelower Aioortioifi of the base B are the plates E with inturned ends F. Thus the base is suspendingly and guiding-ly supported by the elevatable portionof the tow motor and this base provides spaced guides E for themovable frame Hl of thevfork; ThisA frame I0' carries aplate Il, as shown.;

To the lower end and the forward face of the frame I there is secured as at I2 the several fingers or tine elements I3. Oscillatably supported thereby and longitudinally coextensive therewith is the rock shaft I4 and the same extends through opening I5, see Fig. 3, and its exposed end I6 is polygonal in cross-sectional outline and mounted thereon is a lever arm I1 to which reference will be had later.

The frame I0, which is generally rectangular, includes a transverse channel I6 and hooks I6 secured thereto are connected to the lower ends of the tension springs 26, the upper ends of which are connected by hooks 22 to the base B at the upper cross bar portion as shown.

The frame IU has channel structures- 23 secured thereto and the same straddles the adjacent portions of the base B and the back portion thereof 24, see Fig.- 1, provides for base encompassment. This back portion 24 is provided with elongated grooves 25 and herein there are two to each plate and disposed in each groove is an anti-friction ball 26, same providing antifriction bearing between plate 24 and base B.

The outer plates 23 may include projections 21 and the base B may include the outwardly directed portions 2B that adjustably mount the stops 29. These limit the maximum permissive relative movement between the frame and base.

Near the lower portion of the structure, it will be observed that the frame I0 mounts plates 30 which confront the base B and these plates are channeled as at 3| and herein there are two to each plate and disposed therein are the antifriction balls 32 that bear upon the plate groove and the base B.

It will be observed that the anti-friction elements are disposed near the top and bottom of the frame and base and are oppositely disposed with respect to the latter, that is, forwardly and rearwardly thereof as illustrated.

When the fork is unloaded the several springs normally maintain the frame, the fingers or tines, and the plate II in elevated relation.

When the several fingers are disposed between the rows of skid brick and beneath the brick supported thereon and elevational power is applied by the tow motor portion T to elevate the sub-base B', the base B aforesaid is elevated and in general as previously disclosed in the co-pending applications and as will be more fully described hereinafter, the skid brick are gripped by the gripping elements carried by the fingers so that they and the stack of brick thereon are now supported by the said fingers.

The weight of these brick extend the springs 26 as the sub-base is elevated, and such elevational movement in turn obviously results in relative movement between the frame and the base and the weight being cantileverly applied to the ngers normally tends to rock the frame, the plate I I and the fingers clockwise, see Fig. 1. However, the upper end of the aforesaid base and plate cannot move forwardly because the balls 26 are disposed behind the base, as it were.

Neither can the lower ends of the plate and base move to the left, see Fig. 1, incident to this cantilever applied load because the balls '32 are forwardly disposed with respect to the base and bear thereon. Hence, the frame, plate and fingers are normally confined during the raising and lowering movements, etc., to substantially linear travelin a direction parallel to the general direction of the base.

Reference will now be had more particularly 4 to Fig. 2. Referring to the co-pending applications it will be observed that there are three intermediate double fingers or tines and two end fingers or tines and that the several tines are spaced apart slightly greater than the space occupied by two skid brick which provide channels for tine or finger reception. The fingers are but slightly longer than four brick in length as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

As set forth, the end fingers are singular in character. Hence, a single shaft I6 projects therefrom whereas the three intermediate fingers which are multiple in character, see Fig. 4, more particularly, include two projecting shafts I6. Each, as previously described, has secured to it an arm I1. Herein successive arms are oppositely directed and all similarly directed arms are connected together by a bar 33, and are pivotally connected to said bar.

Herein two bars 33`are provided as shown 'and the major portion of the length of these two bars, which are disposed in parallel relation, lap each other. Each of the bars 33 includes an upwardly directed projection 34 and pivoted thereon is a link 35, in turn pivotally connected to one end of an angle lever 36. The angle lever 36 is pivotally supported at 31 upon the frame. The two adjacent ends of these two angle levers lap each other and each includes an elongated slot 38, the two slots registering as shown.

Disposed therein is a pin 36 and this pin is carried by a depending strap 40 carried by the base so that when the base elevates and the frame lowers incident to brick load being taken thereby, the angle levers are actuated which in turn moves the bars 33 to rock each of the shafts I6 in the desired direction, which in this instance is such as to throw out the skid brick grippers from the full line position shown in Fig. 4 to the dotted line position so that the skid brick are gripped.

Referring to Fig. 4 it will be observed that each finger I3 through the major portion of its length is substantially T-shaped in cross section insofar as the dual fingers are concerned and would be L-shaped in cross section insofar as a single finger is concerned. The shaft I4, see Fig. 3, lower portion, is rotatably mounted as at 4I in the free end of the finger.

There is provided, as stated, since the structure is arranged to grip four brick disposed lengthwise, four grippers and the same are longitudinally Aaligned and operatively associated with and carried by the shaft I4.

Adjacent the frame end is a shaft mounting 43 and adjacent the free or pointed end is a shaft mounting 44. Therebetween are three intermediate shaft mounting bearings 45, only two of which are shown in Fig. 3. The same are suit ably secured to the central web I3' or the side web of the T or L-shaped finger and by the Allen screw illustrated.

Rotatably supported on the shaft between each pair of shaft supports is a finger structure Indicated generally by the numeral 46. This is substantially U-shaped in section and the shaft passes through the arms 46* thereof and between said arms and'rigid with said shaft is an anchor sleeve 41. A torsion coil spring 46 has one end 46 associated with the U-shaped member 46 and the other end 46b is associated with said sleeve 41. Thus it may be said that each finger is oscillatably mounted upon the oscillatable shaft and is normally biased toward the projected position.

Disposed between `each intermediateV shaft awe-,ora

bearing' 45 and the adjacent ends of the U- shaped members are the spacing sleeves 49. Note that there are no spacers adjacent shaft bearings 43 and G4. Thus when the shaft is oscillated to bodily project the U-shaped grippers into skid brick engagement, if the skid brick be a thin brick, the maximum throw will be utilized and thus the brick firmly gripped or engaged.

- If the skid brick be a fat brick, then the engagement results in the spring being subjected to Vforce andv the U-shaped member is not positively rocked as far as it would have been rocked as in the former instance. The skid brick, therefore, regardless of size within the normal manufacturing tolerances, .are substantially gripped with the same force. Note that the arrangement is such that the U-shaped gripper which includes the semi-cushioned engaging portion 5B is' positively projected through the shaft andmember 47 into skid brick engagement.

Reference will now be had to Figs. 5 and 6. Herein the stack or pile of brick are designated by the letter P and therebeneath, see Fig. 5, are

- the skid brick SB and thereabove in opposed relation are the tie or cap brick TC. These are disposed crosswise relative to the ngers, whereas the skid brick arev disposed lengthwise thereof. As before, the fingers are designated by the numeral I3, the movable frame by the numeral iii, the base by the letter B, the sub-base by the letter B' and the tow motor by the letter T. Herein disposed above the tie or cap brick is a tubular` rectangular cross-section frame 5l. The same is apertured at suitable intervals to slidably support `the stems 52, retained for example by the nut 53, and the lower end of said stem terminates in a head 54 mounting a rubber cushion cap 55.

A spring 56 is interposed between the head 54 and the pipe 5| and normally constrains the cushion cap into tight cap brick engagement for holding it or the uppermost brick in clamped relation with respect to the finger 'supported brick P.

Pivotally supported at Ela midway between the ends, at each side of the rectangular frame 5I, is a lever 5l and said lever has one arm 58 connected by spring 59 to the tubular frame 5|. The other arm is also connected by a spring 60 to the tubular frame and the springs are balanced, as it were.

Pivotally connected as at 6| is a lever 52 which lever is pivotally supported at 63 upon a standard EA carried by the frame l or a support comprising an extension thereof.

A spring B is interposed between an extension 5'!a of the lever 51 and the lever 62 and is held in position by the member 66. Thus the parts G2 and 51a are normally constrained to separated relation.

The lever 62 includes an extension 6'! that is pivotally connected to a 1ink68 in turn connected to an extension 69 carried by the base. Now when there is no load on the lingers, then the lingers are elevated with respect to the base regardless of the relative position of both with respect to the ground or a supporting surface. Therefore, the parts, insofar as the aforesaid linkage is concerned, are disposed as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 5. When, however, the load is on the fingers and relative movement between the frame and the base has been effected by elevation of the fingers or fork, then the parts aforesaid assume the full line position ili lustrated and thus the general linkage, disposed in parallelismup'on: the two sides of the` open rectar-igu'larv frame, isv normally constrained to separated relation and all' are held in elevated relation including the cap brick engaging elements.. v

' When the linkage aforesaid has been actuated tohold vthe cap brick clamped to the pile of brick, then the several brick engaging elements individually adjust themselves and cushioning action is provided by the spring 5S. Herein the pivotal member 52' comprises a lever structure as shown in Fig.' 6 so that,when relative movement occurs incident to fork elevation, With brick loadl thereon, the frame is caused to descend substantially horizontallyan'd the balanced arrange'-h ment prevails by virtue of the springs 59 and 6!! and upon clamping engagement, individual clamping' i'sadju'sted' by virtue of spring 56 and for prevention of excessive clamping; which might result in breaking of the linkage, the two springsv accommodate any additional linkage actuation. notV required for effecting clamping.

The invention claimed is:

l. In a brick handling fork having relatively movable and elevatable and lowerable base and frame members, the combination of brick supporting Vfingers cantileverly supported by the frame, tension means connecting the base and frame together and brick load extensible, and means interconnecting the base and frame to either comprising a plurality of vertically spaced balls therebetween, the balls being carried by the frame and bearing upon opposite sides of the base.

2. In a brick handling fork having relatively movable frame and base members bodily movable, and a brick supporting finger cantileverly supported by the frame, the combination of a shaft disposed longitudinally with respect to the finger and projecting through the frame member, means operable in and by the relative movement for oscillating said shaft, a plurality of skid brick grippers oscillatable upon the finger and longitudinally aligned, means on the shaft for effecting gripper movement outwardly from the finger for skid brick engagement, yielding means between the shaft mounted means and the gripper, means supporting said shaft upon the finger and rigid therewith, and sleeve spacing means between the grippers and said shaft mounting means.

3. In a brick handling fork having relatively movable frame and base members, fingers rigid with and cantileverly supported by the frame member, tension means connecting the members together and extensible when the fingers are loaded, means limiting such relative movement, and a rotatable shaft for each finger and projecting therefrom and through the frame member, eccentrically rotatable brick engaging grippers mounted on said shaft, the combination of a lever arm on the projecting end of said shaft, a reciprocatory bar for arm oscillation, a bellcrank lever, a link connecting the bell crank lever at one end to the bar, a member disposed adjacent the bell crank and carried by the base member, and a pin and slot connection between the last mentioned member and said bell crank lever for the purpose described.

4. In a brick handling fork arranged for towmotor attachment and having a lingered frame and a base adapted for towmotor mounting and elevation and lowering, the frame and base having limited relative vertical movement when the frame is under load, the combination of supported iinger load engaging means disposed above the fingers for clamping the load thereon, and means positively operable in both directions by the relative movement between the base and frame for effecting clamping and releasing operation of the clamping means; said clamping means comprising frame pivoted lever means and base carried link means connected thereto, the load engaging means comprising horizontally disposed support means, a plurality of individual load engaging elements yielding supported thereby, means connecting said lever means to said support means; said connecting means comprising v-shaped means pivoted at its vertex to the support means, and tension means at opposite sides of the pivotal axis connecting the V-shaped means to the support means, one arm of the V-shaped means having pivotal connection to said lever means.

5. Structure as defined by claim 4 wherein the lever means connected arm of the V-shaped means is extended and overlies said lever means, and having compression means interposed between the lapping portions of the V-shaped means and the lever means.

6. Structure as defined by claim 5 wherein the support means is a quadrilateral outlined frame 8i with-a' central opening. the outline thereof having a width but slightly less than that of the fork width and a length but slightly less than that of the length of the fingers.

7. Structure as deiined by claim 6 wherein the V-shaped means is at least of dual character, one being disposed at each side of the support means frame, and the lever means is of plural character, there being one for each V-shaped means.

SILES ELMER RIKE.

REFERENCES CITED The .following references are of record ln the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 975,713 Pentleld Nov. 15, 1910 1,022,812 ,Barr Apr. 9, 1912 1,221,765 Peniield Apr. 3, 1917 1,485,818 Schroeder Mar. 4, 1924 1,971,952 Townsend Allg. 28, 1934 2,281,012 Sears Apr. 28, 1942 2,403,356 Francis July 2, 1946 2,520,564 Reagle Aug. 29, 1950 2,527,103 Noack et al. Oct. 24, 1950 

